Friend has two old iPads, can they be fixed?

May 11, 2023 8:19 AM

I'm helping my friend, who is poor and ill, to sell or give away his possessions because he may need nursing home care.

I'm stumped at what to do with his two very old iPads. (He got a new iPad as a gift, so he only needs the data and dollars from these iPads. He would also be satisfied if they could be fixed, and he could give each away to someone who couldn't afford an iPad.

1. One iPad, regular size, has a broken charging port. I forget how much Apple said it would cost to fix, but it was something like $400. This iPad has on it the first picture mashup thing out little neighbor child ever did: a dinosaur chomping my friend, and then a caption "FRIEND GOT CHOMPED". This is the one thing friend wants off the iPad.
Is there a service that can fix the charging port for a reasonable fee? Could I mail it to someone to get this fixed? Is there another secret way to get the data off it without a charging port to turn it on?

2. The second one is an iPad mini with a cracked screen that can't be updated to the current software. It is still useable to read or surf the internet. I don't think it will last much longer, so I don't think it is worth fixing anyway.
Is there a way I can give this mini away to someone who really needs it, as opposed to someone who is reselling them or something? I could reset it and put it on craigslist for free, but I'm afraid I will get those iPad/Iphone fixers who keep calling and texting from different numbers until I will be driven insane. (This happened to me before when I sold an Iphone.) Any ideas?

posted by KayQuestions to Technology (10 answers total)

You can fix the screen and charging ports through independent repair shops - probably at 1/2 to 2/3 the price of the Apple store costs. Is it worth it? Depends on the person....

Should you give them away to individuals, assuming they will pay to get them fixed? IMO, no. You can occasionally return them to an Apple store for store credit and they used to be pretty sympathetic (in certain cases) about the age of them, in terms of getting a newer refurbished one. Not so much lately, but I guess it depends on the store.
posted by The_Vegetables at 8:39 AM on May 11, 2023

Best answer: Doing repairs yourself is often the cheapest option in this case. Older Apple devices are not as delicate as the current generations and replacement parts can be found easily for low cost. iFixIt has comprehensive tutorials on how to repair every iPad model out there.
posted by wandering zinnia at 9:09 AM on May 11, 2023 [1 favorite]

Best answer: It sounds like the highest and best use for these is going to someone who will use them for parts or fix them and resell them (or possibly an e-waste recycler at this point). They will have the market information needed to know what makes sense. My concern with fixing the charging port is what if you discover other problems once you sink money into fixing it? I would do a little research into getting the photo off the hard drive and let the device go.

I don't think you should give these to "someone in need" unless you have a specific person / place in mind. Trash is not a donation, and you literally don't want the hassle of giving them away for free, they're pretty close to trash.
posted by momus_window at 9:40 AM on May 11, 2023 [5 favorites]

Fix them and then give them, yes. Give to Goodwill, yes, they will recycle them. Return to Apple for creidt, yes. Do not give people broken tech; it's just giving them a problem.
posted by theora55 at 10:08 AM on May 11, 2023 [1 favorite]

Please disregard if you’re sure the charging port is broken, but have you confirmed it’s not just obstructed by lint/dirt? On more than one occasion over the years I’ve thought my phone charging port was dead, but it turned out it simply needed to be cleaned out (there are specialized tools for this but a pushpin tends to work well) and was fine thereafter.
posted by staggernation at 10:19 AM on May 11, 2023 [7 favorites]

Re: getting data, have you tried logging into his icloud account on a different computer or device to see if he has anything stored there? Like the picture he wants?
posted by MadMadam at 10:32 AM on May 11, 2023 [4 favorites]

Best answer: The second tablet, the Mini, is basically recycle fodder, especially if it's too old to update to current iOS. Can't be updated and needs a screen replacement? That's more of a problem than it is a value.

For getting the picture off the first iPad, MadMadam has a great idea. If your friend knows their iCloud login and password, you can log in from any computer or device, really, and see if it might be stored in their iCloud storage, possibly in photos. Depending on how their account is set up, trying to log in like this may require a one time password or authorization from another Apple device tied to that account. (When I log into iCloud from a computer, I get a notification on my iPhone with a code to enter.) But there's no harm in trying, and it might turn out to be a win.

If that's not an option, you may be able to recover the information from that iPad after repairing (or cleaning, staggernation's suggestion is a very good one) the charging port, but it's almost certain that you'll need, at minimum, your friend's PIN to unlock the iPad and allow access.

If you can get the model numbers of the tablets in question (should be laser-etched on the back, a letter followed by four numbers, like A1701) that'd help you really nail down options and pricing for repairs. Do try cleaning the charging port on the first one, as suggested above. Could be some lint in there, or even the remnants of a broken charge cable connector (hadn't seen that on Lightning connectors, but definitely on the very old 30-pin connectors.)
posted by xedrik at 1:12 PM on May 11, 2023 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Ok, here is what I am going to do:
1. Reset the iPad mini, give it away free with the case and charger. It has a screen protector covering the cracked screen so it is not falling apart. Someone will be able to use this to read, or let their kids watch WildKratts,or something. I will try to avoid the predatory iPad resellers and get it to someone who can't afford an iPad.
2. Try to get the port fixed on the bigger iPad. I already tried cleaning it, no luck. I tried the iCloud method, no luck.
I'm willing to spend up to $100 to get that phot for my friend. It would make him so happy.

Thank you all for the advice!
posted by KayQuestions at 1:39 AM on May 12, 2023

Response by poster: Thanks wandering zinnia- I'm going to try to fix the port myself. If that doesn't work I'll take it to a phone fix place and see if they will do it for $100 or less.
posted by KayQuestions at 1:59 AM on May 12, 2023

Best answer: If you want to give the mini away, you might try your local Buy Nothing. They're Facebook groups where people offer stuff for free, and that way you can see who you're giving to, and avoid getting mobbed by iPad fixers.
posted by hungrytiger at 12:46 AM on May 16, 2023